Bag closure



Patented Oct. 24, 1950 I UNITED STATE S PATENT OFFICE Richard Arthur 2:122:11. nulgnor, by

mesne assignments, to International Paper Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York This invention relates to new and useful improvements in closures for multiwall paper bags and particularly seeks to provide a novel, easily openedclosure for multiwall bags of the offset or notched corner type.

An object of this invention is to provide a multiwall bag of the offset or notched corner type in which the major portion of the bag end is closed by a transverse line of stitching with a sealing closure tape overlying the entire bag end including the offset or notched corner portion which can be readily displaced from its p0- sition overlying the corner portion for filling operations.

Another object of this invention. is to provide a closure of the character stated in which the sealin tape is folded alon its longitudinal axis to extend down over opposite wall portions of the associated bag end and in which the tape is provided with at least one line 01' perforations or similar discontinuous portions in order that the areas of the tape lying on either side of such perforations may be torn therealong in the area of the notched corner to enable the oflset or notched corner of the bag to be opened up for bag filling purposes while still retaining a sufficient width of tape in the area of the notch for final closure purposes.

Another object of this invention is to provide a bag closure of the character stated in which the line of perforations extends along the median fold line of the tape at least in the area overlying the offset or notched corner of the bag.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bag closure of the character stated in which the perforations may be formed on both sides of the tape and disposed in a plane lying below the median fold of the tape and within the area of the notch.

With these and other objects in view, the nature of which will become more apparent, the invention will be more fully understood by reference to the drawings, the accompanying detailed description, and the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. l is a perspective view of the upper end of a multiwall bag embodying a closure constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l with the line of stitching omitted within the area of the corner notch in order to more clearly illustrate the notched corner portion of the closed bag but shows the closure in its finally secured position;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the upper end of a multiwall bag showing a modification of the z i manner of perforating the sealing tape and here again the line of stitching has been omitted within the area of the corner notch;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2 and indicates that the bag is of four-ply construction; and

Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 are fragmentar plan views of portions of sealing tapes which may be used and which embody several differently arranged lines of perforations or slits.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the invention as illustrated is embodied in a multiwall bag generally indicated at 5, having gussets 6, i and a notched corner portion including a horizontal shoulder l and a vertical shoulder I.

During the manufacture of bags of this type the individual has blanks are formed from a continuous length of multiply bag'tubing and severed therefrom to form individual bags blanks of proper configuration. The bottom (not shown) is square cut and is passed through a sewing machine which places a line of stitching parallel to the bottom edge and across the full width r the bottom, and this line of stitching is preferablv covered by a sealing tape overlying the same and adhesively secured to the bag. The top of the bag is provided with a line of stitch ing indicated at 9 which extends entirely across the top end of the bag in spaced parallel relation to the top edge thereof and is disposed be-.

-' low the top edge a distance less than the length of the shoulder I of the corner notch in order that the paper outlining the area of the corner notch will remain unsecured until after the ba has been filled. By reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings it will be observed that the line of When a fresh bag is to be filled the operator Y at the fillin station merely picks up the bag, inserts his two thumbs into the'gusset fold immediately underlying the top sealing tape and in the area of the corner notch and abruptly moves his thumbs apart. This action, of course, causes the gussets to separate towards the position indicated at Fig. 1 of the drawings and simultaneously causes the two sections of the sealing tape III to separate along the line of perforations II to thereby effect the formation of a filling opening. After the bag has been filled the gussets 6, 8 are again folded inwardly and the upstanding portions of the torn area of the sealing tape II) which are disposed within the area of the corner notch are finally sealed as through the medium of a plurality of steps or securing devices indicated at I 2.

As indicated in Fig. 6 of the drawings, the tape III may b provided with a medially disposed line of slits I2 which perform the same functions as the perforations II but which are more easily formed in the tape in commercial operations. It

is well known that a line of closely spaced, in-

dividual perforations can be formed in a tape of paper only at relatively slow speeds whereas a line of relatively long, individual slits can be formed in a similar tape of paper much more rapidly. Inasmuch as multiwall bags of the type described herein are produced commercially in accordance with commercially accepted methods of manufacture it may prove more feasible in connection with the manufacture of the present closure to employ a line of slits, each of which is relatively long by comparison with the intervening areas of paper rather than a continuous line of very closely spaced perforations. It will, of course, be apparent that it is preferable for the spaces between individual slits in the tape to be approximately the same length as the spaces between individual perforations where perforations are employed in a similar tape.

In Fig. 7 of the drawings there is illustrated another modification of the closure sealing tape III which is adapted to be folded along a medial fold line I3. In this particular form of tape there are illustrated two parallel rows of perforations I4, I4 disposed equi-distantly on either side of the medial fold line I3. In connection with this particular modified form of sealing tape Fig. 3 of the drawings illustrates its manner of application to a multiwall bag of th notched corner type.

The same general type of closure may be formed with still another modified version of seal in which the tape I (see Fig. 8) is provided with a medial fold line l and in which there are also provided spaced parallel lines of slits IS, IS equidistantly disposed to either side of the medial fold line I5.

Whenever a sealing tape of the form disclosed in Figs. 3, '7 and 8 of the drawings is employed with a notched corner bag the final closure after completion of filling may be effected by displacing the separated portion of the tape within the area of the corner notch down to the point at which the medial fold line I3 or I5 thereof immediately overlies the shoulder I of the notch so that the depending areas of the tape overlie the adjacent wall portions of the bag. When this has been done it is, of course, entirely practical to employ closure-securing devices such as staples, rivets, or even a supplementary line of stitching adjacent the area of the corner notch.

Thus it will be seen that the invention disclosed herein provides a novel closure for multiwall paper bags of the offset or notched corner type in which the sealing tap thereof is readily separated into two portions within the area of the notch prior to filling and which can be secured in filling-opening-sealing relation after the bag has been filled.

It is, of course, to be understood that various details of arrangements and proportions of parts may be modified within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A sealing means for the closure of a gusseted notched corner multiwall paper bag wherein is provided a line of stitching securing th opposing walls of the open end of the bag and disposed in a plane above that of the horizontal shoulder of the notch, comprising a sealing strip medially folded and adhesively secured to the exterior surface of each wall of the bag and overlying the stitching, said strip being provided with a line of perforations disposed along said medial fold line in at least th area of said notched corner whereby the notched corner of said bag can be opened for filling purposes by tearing along said line of perforations.

2. A sealing means for the closure of a gusseted notched corner multiwall paper bag wherein is provided a line of stitching securing the opposing walls of the open end of the bag and disposed in a plane above that of the horizontal shoulder of the notch, comprising a sealing strip medially folded and adhesively secured to the exterior surface of each wall of the bag and overlying the stitching, said strip being provided with a line of perforations disposed along said medial fold line whereby the notched corner of said bag can be opened for filling purposes by tearing along said line of perforations.

3. A sealing means for the closure of a gusseted notched corner multiwall paper bag wherein is provided a line of stitching securing the opposing walls of the open end of the bag and disposed in a plane above that of the horizontal shoulder of the notch, comprising a sealing strip medially folded and adhesively secured to the exterior surface of each wall of the bag and overlying the stitching, said strip being provided with a line of discontinuous severed areas along said medial fold lir in at least the area of said notched corner whereby the notched corner of said bag can be opened for filling purposes by tearing along said discontinuous line.

4. A sealing means for the closure of a gusseted notched corner multiwall paper bag wherein is provided a line of stitching securing the opposing walls of the open end of the bag and disposed in a plane above that of the horizontal shoulder of the notch, comprising a sealing strip medially folded and adhesively secured to the exterior surface of each wall of the bag and overlying the stitching, said strip being provided with a line of discontinuous severed areas along said medial fold line whereby the notched corner of said bag can be opened for filling purposes by tearing along said discontinuous line.

RICHARD ARTHUR PORT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,217,818 Peterson Feb. 17, 1917 1,619,887 Sapp Mar. 8, 1927 1,736,396 Duvall Nov. 19, 1929 1,910,789 Brady May 23, 1933 2,260,192 Orr Oct. 21, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 858,696 Great Britain Oct. 15, 1931 

